Future of Shopping

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A few ways high-end department stores are coping with the recession: ordering less merchandise, ordering fewer types of merchandise (say, one or two variations on a bag, instead of 70), and canceling orders for underperforming labels. "Designer shoes may be hardest to find, according to New York-based research firm Retail Eye Partners. Stores already have cut purchases of new styles, said Sapna Shah, co-founder of Retail Eye." [Bloomberg]